Metal frame for constructing building boards



Aug. 4, 1936. A. RAFTER METAL FRAME FOR CONSTRUCTING BUILDING BOARDSFiled Oct. 28, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l VENTOR ATTORNEY Aug. 4, 1936. A.RAFTER METAL FRAME FOR CONSTRUCTING BUILDING BOARDS Filed Oct. 28, 19332 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Au 4, 1936 UNITED STATES METAL FRAMEroe CONSTRUCTING BUILDING BpARns Albert Rafter, Glen Ridge, N. 3.,assignor to Rafter Machine Company, Believille, N. 1., a partnershipcomposed of Albert Rafter and John C. Rafter, Jr.

Application October 28, 1933, Serial No. 695,625

3 Claims. (01.189-36) This invention relates" to improvements inmetallic frames used in the manufacture of building boards made ofgypsum, or compositions of matter of a similar nature.

Boards made of gypsum or a composition of matter of a similar nature areat present being extensively used in building construction for flooring,walls, ceilings, roofing, etc. These boards are fireproof and durableand have been found superior in many respects to wood and other types ofcomposition wallboard. The boards made of gypsum or of compositions ofmatter of a similar nature, are commonly made in sizes of about ten feetin length, fifteen inches wide and about two 15 inches'thick.

In the construction of a board, a metallic channelled frame ofrectangular shape is employed, to serve as a support for the gypsum andto enable the boards to be mounted in a practical manner for making afloor, wall or the like, and also to enable the boards to be transportedwithout damage.

Heretofore, the rectangular frames have been made of four channelledpieceshaving mitered ends to enable them to be fitted together at thecorners of the frame, after which they are placed in a mold and thegypsum or similar material is poured out into a fiat, board-likestructure with its edges fitted in the channel of the frame.

It isan object of this invention to provide a rectangular frame whichcan be formed from two channel members, each of the channelled membersbeing provided with means to enable it to be bent intermediate itslength so as to form two 35 sides of a frame. 7

When gypsum or similar material is poured into a frame made of fourchannelled sections or of two'sections as above described, considerablestresses are thrown upon the frame with the result that the frame isunstable at the corners and tends to spread, causing the board to crackin various places.

Also a great deal of time and labor is necessary in assembling a frame,the frames constantly 45 having a tendency to bend at the corners,resulting in an unsatisfactory break of the board in the majority ofcases.

It is an object of this invention to provide supporting plates at thecorners of the frame mem- 50 bers to prevent bending or shiftingmovement of any kind from the sides of'the frame members, said platesbeing attached to the sides of the frames by suitable means.

During the process of forming a gypsum board 55 with its frame, it isnecessary to prevent spreading or inward bending of the longitudinalsides of the frame during the molding .of the board of gypsum or similarmaterial.

Heretofore attempts have been made to overcome this dimculty byproviding a curved wire between the longitudinal sides of the frame, but

this method has been found objectionable in that the wire tends tostraighten outwardly as the gypsum or similar material begins to set,causing the sides of the frame to bend outwardly, which results in thegypsum or similar material of the board being insecurely and improperlyheld to the frame member.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel brace between thelongitudinal sides of the frame member, which brace prevents outward orinward bending of the longitudinal sides of the frame.

. These and other advantageous objects which will later appear, areaccomplished by the simple and practical construction and arrangement ofparts hereinafter described and exhibited in the accompanying drawings,forming part hereof, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a frame of the 5 class describedembodying my invention,

Fig. 2 shows a channel member mitered to enable it to be bent into aright angle to form two sides of the frame,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the corners ofa frame are held rigid,

Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of modified forms of devices forholding the corners of a frame rigid,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a preferred form 3 of brace forpreventing outward or inward bending of the longitudinal side walls ofthe frame,

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a modified form for securing a plate tothe frame at the corners thereof to prevent relative movement of theside mem- 4o bers of the frame,

Fig. 8 is a sectional view showing the manner in which the brace shownin Fig. 6 is held in a frame,

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a modified form 5 of frame,

Figs. 10 and 11 are views showing the manner of securing cornerstrengthening plates to the frame ofFig.9,and

Figs. 12 and 13 show the manner in which a strengthening brace issecured to the longitudinal sides of the frame of Fig. 9. 4

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 1 a metal frame I4 of rectangularshape is shown to be formed from channel members 15 so that the with anintermediate section thereof mitered at ill to enable a section on thechannel to be bent at right angles to form one half of a com pleteframe. In order to strengthen the frame and to give rigidity to thecorners to prevent relative movement and shifting of the sides so as tomaintain a rigid rectangular shape, I position in the channels at thecorners of the frame rightangled plates l9 which are secured to the sidewalls l6 of the channel members by any suitable means, such as' spotwelding as indicated in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 4, I show another form of securing the plate l9. to the sidewall I6. In this form the plate I9 is provided with apertures throughwhich pass tabs punched through the side wall I6, and bent over theplate 19.

In Fig. 5 the plate I9 is provided with slots through which are passedtabs 2|, struck out of the side wall [6 and nails or pins 22 are driventhrough the tabs to prevent withdrawal thereof.

In Fig. '7 the plates I9 are provided with round holes through which ispunched metal from the side walls l6 to form grommets 23 for holding theplates I9 to theside walls.

In constructing a building block of gypsum or similar compositions ofmatter, theframes are placed in a mold and the gypsum poured in to fillthe channels of the frame and the space between the side walls thereof.During the setting of the gypsum it is necessary that the longitudinalside Walls do not bend outwardly or inwardly as such action willobviously cause damaging stresses in the composition of matter,resulting in cracks and insecure holding by the frame. In order toprevent movement of the longitudinal side members, I provide braces 24,as shown in Figs. 1, '6 and 8. Each brace consists of a flat sheet ofmetal split at each end and bent outwardly to form forks 25'which fltinto the channel and rest along the side wall I6 thereof. In order togive rigidity to the brace and prevent bending, ribs 26 are formedtherein throughout its length. Braces are inserted in the channels ofthe longitudinal sides and rest against the bottom walls 28 of thechannels so that inward movement of the sides is prevented.

As shownin Fig. 8, tabs 21 are punched inwardly from the side walls l6of the channels and engage the forks 25 to prevent movement of thelongitudinal sides of the frame outwardly. It will therefore be seenthat when the braces are inserted in the channel in the manner as shownin Fig. 8, a substantial rigid structure is provided,

in which there will be no relative movement between the brace and thechannel member.

In Fig. 9 is shown a frame member in which the side walls 30 of thechannels are provided with inwardly directed flanges 3|. With a-channelof this structure, strengthening plates '32 are provided at the cornersof the frame and positioned in the channel as above explained. With achannel member having the flanges 3|, right angled plate 32 is providedwith tabs 33 which project through notches in one of the flanges 3|adjacent the corners of the frame, and portions 34 of the flange 3| arebent overthe plate 32 to securely hold the latter in position.

With this shape of channel member, a brace 35 is provided so that inwardor outward springing or movement of the longitudinal side memhers ispositively prevented, the structure of the brace. being substantially asdescribed in Fig. 6. However, as shown in Fig. 12 the forks 36 of thebrace 35 are inserted in the channel so that the ends of the forksengage the bottom 31 of the channel to prevent inward movement of theside walls while the flanges 3| engage the forks to prevent outwardmovement of the longitudinal sides of the frame.

As far as I know, I am the first to provide a metal channel frame formaking building boards from gypsum or a similar composition of matter,wherein said frame is formed from a. metal channel strip mitered toenable it to be bent at right angles intermediate its length to form 1one half of a complete frame. V

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a noveldevice in the form of the right angled plate l9 and the plate 32 toprevent shifting or relative movement of the sides 2 and to maintain theframe in a rigid rectangular shape at all times.

It will also be seen that the form of brace I have described above issimple in structure and ofconsiderable strength sufficient to prevent 2either outwardly or inwardly movement of the longitudinal sides of theframe, thus eliminating the possibility of the gypsum or similarcomposition of matter cracking or being damaged by movement of the sidesof the frame as has 3 heretofore been the case with other expedientsused in the formation of building boards of the type described.

The several novel elements I have set forth in the construction of myframe have enabled the 35 production of frames of the type hereinconsidered at a considerably less cost than heretofore has been the caseand also more conveniently and rapidly, at the same time producing amore satisfactory building board which is not 40 damaged intransportation or during installation by shifting of the sides of theframe.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive andillustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of theinvention, of

which obviously an embodiment may be constructed including manymodifications, without departing from the general scope herein indicatedand denoted in the appended claims.

5 Havingthus described my invention,-what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A frame for the construction of composition building boards, saidframe being rectangular in shape and formed from inwardly opening metalchannelled members, the side walls of said channels having inwardlydirected flanges, right angled metal plates positioned in and lying flatagainst the side walls of the channels at the corners of the frame, saidflanges having recesses therein, and lugs projecting from the plates andtightly fitting in said recesses, said flanges having portions thereofextending downwardly over said plates to secure the plates to the sidewalls of the frame member.

2. A frame for the construction of composition building boards, saidframe being rectangular in shape and formed from inwardly opening metalchannelled members, the side walls of said'chantherein, lugs projectingfrom the plates and tightly fitting in said recesses, said flangeshaving portions thereof extending downwardly over said plates to securethe plates to the side walls of the frame member, and a brace to preventoutward or inward movement of the longitudinal sides of the frame, saidbrace comprising a flat metal strip having its ends split and bentoutwardly to provide forks in different planes which are positioned inthe channels and engage the bottom walls thereof.

3. A frame for the construction of composition building boards, saidframe being rectangular in shape and formed from inwardly opening metalchannelled members, the side walls of said channels having inwardlydirectedflanges, right angled metal plates positioned in and lying flatagainst the side walls of the channels at the corners of the frame, saidflanges having recesses therein, lugs projecting from the plates andtightly fitting in said recesses, said flanges having portions thereofextending downwardly over said plates to secure the plates to the sidewalls of the frame member, a brace to prevent outward or inward movementof the longitudinal sides of the frame, said brace comprising a fiatmetal strip having its ends split and bent outwardly to provide forks indifferent planes which are positioned in the channels and engage thebottom walls thereof, and means to prevent withdrawal of the forkedportions of the brace from the a channel.

